Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Η γυναίκα στη βιβλιοθήκη by Sulari Gentill

57 reviews

tamara_joy's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Gun violence, Murder, Stalking, Racism, and Death

ckraney's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 stars. I loved the format of this book—the book within a book. I thought the crimes and clues were well plotted and I was prepared for a masterful reveal. I was disappointed by the twist at the end and it felt like it cheapened all of the previous work. Such crimes seemed more intricate than how they were tied up in the end. (It’s hard to explain without spoilers!) I wish the ending had been as well thought out and crafted as the rest of the story. It would have been a 4 star book in that case.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Domestic abuse, Stalking, Medical content, Death, Gun violence, Addiction, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Physical abuse, Murder, and Pedophilia

linneak's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse

cwerber's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

The whole narrative within a narrative is usually okay with me...until it's not. I'm not excatly sure what it adds to the narrative of the other story, but this wasn't it. 

One of the characters really made me roll my eyes. Seriously, you've been a stalker sweetheart. It's not loyalty or concern. It's stalking. And then to turn around and accuse the narrator of sleeping with the person you're stalking? Ugh. Sorry, Marigold, you're a bit too much for me. 

And Leo (Freddie's friend or whatever), no. Nope. You're much too good to be true. 

The info we found out about Whit came a little too late. He was also much too charming and I didn't like him at all. But then again, I don't think I like many people at all so that could be me. 

The reader is made to believe that Cain is the murderer from almost the get-go. Shady past; time spent in jail; living on the streets, etc. But Marigold and Whit seem too eager to pin it on him very quickly. 

I guess it brings me to Freddie, our main character and narrator of the story, an Australian living in Boston on a scholarship to write her book for a year. She seemed determined to want to fall in love with Cain. I could see tantalizing glimpses of her life - a dead sister whose death Freddie witnessed - but they were glimpses. 

I take that back, each character could have done with fleshed-out backstories. But there you have it. I should have stopped when I struggled but I finished.  

This book, obviously, wasn't for me. A reverse locked room mystery set in Boston with questionable or naive characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Blood

Moderate: Murder

bekah1210's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder and Violence

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Addiction

jadorereadss's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Murder, and Gun violence

purplepenning's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Blood, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Medical content, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Violence, Addiction, Death, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

aseel_reads's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

this had the potential, if they made it author living her life/writing her novel, the novel itself, and then leo advising her about the novel in real life but instead we just get the novel itself (which was odd, hated the characters, the ending was weird, don't understand it) and leo advising on it and apparently the blurb just tells us what is going to happen??? no good 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Stalking, Violence, Blood, and Death

eviecheesepuff's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

 This book was very interesting. There were two plotlines (a story within a story).
You are reading the main story through the emails between the writer and her "beta reader".
I absolutely loved the duality, but the "fictional storyline" was extremely predictable. So, even though I loved the characters, I knew who the killer was too early on. That's my only complaint about this book tbh!
This book had very mild spice and definitely check the trigger warnings before reading! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Stalking, and Racism

Moderate: Murder

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A murder mystery within a murder mystery, this is a solid thriller. The real killer was hiding in plain sight and was so painfully obvious that I didn’t even consider them as a candidate. The characters are mostly likeable and diverse. The plot is believable. The end was good but arrived to with little pomp or circumstance. There are some glaring spelling/grammar mistakes throughout that are a bit annoying but all in all a solid book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gore, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Murder, Stalking, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, Racism, and Toxic friendship